An international seminar, entitled “Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelagos: The Historical Truth”, was jointly organised by the University of Da Nang and the Pham Van Dong University in Quang Ngai Province at the Grand Mercure Danang Hotel from 20 to 21 June.

At the event, scholars Dmitry Mosyakov from Russia, K Raja Reddy from India, and Jean-Pierre Ferrier from France made mention of the legal historical documents issued by the Vietnamese feudal states.  The documents convincingly prove that Viet Nam has established and exercised its sovereignty over the two archipelagos in a peaceful and continuous manner over many historical periods.  In addition, they remarked that on behalf of the Vietnamese administration, France had exercised sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa islands.  Viet Nam took over the archipelagos when France withdrew from Viet Nam.  Meanwhile, China has no conclusive evidence which proves its claim over the archipelagos.

The seminar in progress

For his part, General Daniel Schaeffer, former French Military Attaché to China, Thailand and Viet Nam, said that China’s “nine-dash line” claim in the East Sea is invalid and without any convincing explanation.  He added that in the past China has sought to realise its groundless claims by infringing upon the sovereignty of the Philippines, Viet Nam and Malaysia.  The “nine-dash line” claim is no longer just a matter of particular concern for only one country in the region, but it is now of utmost concern to the international community.  In addition, he remarked that an international consensus should be reached to ask China to abolish its nonsensical claim.

Most of the participants at the seminar agreed that solutions to territorial disputes, which are based on legal and historical documents along with international laws regarding the acquisition of territory, play a vitally important role in maintaining peace, stability, maritime security, safety and freedom of navigation in the East Sea.  They added that all acts involving the deliberate use of force to change the status quo, destabilise the region and violate the sovereignty of other nations with an ambition to have exclusive rights over the East Sea, are totally unacceptable.

Also at the seminar, many experts expressed their opposition to China’s illegal placement of its HD-981 drilling rig in Viet Nam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, along with its intentional attacks on Vietnamese coastguard ships and offshore fishing boats.  They also stressed the need for China and other ASEAN member countries to promptly conclude a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) to prevent further escalation of the tensions there.

Professor Jerome Cohen from New York University School of Law noted that Viet Nam could sue China at an international arbitration court, either in cooperation with the Philippines or unilaterally.  He also recommended that concerned countries should take advantage of judicial assistance from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) or the legal system of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).  In addition, Professor Cohen emphasised that the use of international arbitration mechanisms by Viet Nam would prove it is trying to use peaceful solutions to resolve the current dispute.

Allied to the seminar, the “Hoang Sa and Truong Sa: Integral Parts of Viet Nam’s Sovereignty” exhibition is open at the Museum of Da Nang until 25 June.

A foreign researcher is interviewed by reporters on the sidelines of the exhibition

Addressing the exhibition’s opening ceremony on Saturday, the Chairman of the Da Nang Historical Science Association, Mr Bui Van Tieng, affirmed that the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos are integral parts of Viet Nam’s territory. 

On display in the exhibition are a number of documents in Han characters (Chinese script) and Nom (Vietnamese ideographical script) issued by Vietnamese feudal states from the 17^th to the early 20^th centuries.  The documents prove that Viet Nam has established and exercised its sovereignty over the archipelagos in a peaceful and continuous manner in line with international laws.  Moreover, there are old maps which were published by Viet Nam and Western countries showing China’s southern-most border as being Hainan Island.